Publications

effects of penicillin on procaine-elicited bursts of potential in central neuron of snail, achatina fulica.	effects of penicillin on changes in procaine-elicited bursts of potential (bop) were studied in a central neuron (rp4) of snail, achatina fulica ferussac. procaine elicited bop in the rp4 neuron while penicillin elicited depolarization of the neuron. penicillin decreased the bop elicited by procaine in a concentration-dependent manner. the effect of penicillin on the procaine-elicited bop was not altered in the preparations treated with ascorbate or l-name (n-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester). howe ...	2008	18539087
how messengers modulate the shifting of spontaneously generated action potential into bursts of potentials in central snail neuron?	how messengers modulate the shifting of spontaneously generated action potential into bursts of potentials (bop) is studied electrophysiologically and biochemically in rp 1 and 4 neurons of the african snail, achatina fulica ferussac using d- and l-amphetamine (amp) as modulator. the stereospecific effects, extracellular and intracellular ionic effects, messenger related to enzymatic effects and membrane ionic currents effects on bop elicited by amp are studied. the roles of organelles, such as ...	2008	18652366
variation of acharan sulfate and monosaccharide composition and analysis of neutral n-glycans in african giant snail (achatina fulica).	acharan sulfate content from african giant snail (achatina fulica) was compared in eggs and snails of different ages. acharan sulfate was not found in egg. acharan sulfate disaccharide -->4)-alpha-d-glcnpac (1-->4)-alpha-l-idoap2s(1-->, analyzed by sax (strong-anion exchange)-hplc was observed soon after hatching and increases as the snails grow. monosaccharide compositional analysis showed that mole % of glucosamine, a major monosaccharide of acharan sulfate, increased with age while mole % of ...	2008	18670878
[localization of substance p- and fmrfamide-like immunoreactivity in the atrium of the snail achatina fulica].	by immunohistochemical and immunocytochemical methods localization of substanse p (sp) and fmrfamide in the atrium of the snail achatina fulica was investigated. nerve fibers innervating the snail atrium contact tightly with the granular cells (gc) situated between muscle and endocardial cells, forming neuroendocrine units. both neuromediators were found in the cells of the neuroendocrine units. by immunohistochemistry sp- and fmrfamide-immunoreactive material was revealed in the granules of the ...	2008	18683584
[study on the epidemiological characteristics and natural infectious focus of angiostrongylus cantonensis in shenzhen area of zhujiang delta in china].	to delimit the natural infectious focus, including the distribution of wildlife, species, ecology of intermediate hosts and final host of angiostrongylus cantonensis, as well as the routes of transmission and epidemiological characteristics and wildlife of human angiostrongylus cantonensis, based on human diverging cases identified in shenzhen, southern area of china.	2008	19040040
nematode cysts and larvae found in achatina fulica bowdich, 1822.	this study describes the morphology of the nematode cysts and larvae found in achatina fulica (giant african snail) in brazil. sixty snails were collected in mesquita, rio de janeiro state. fourteen of the snails were naturally infected. the cysts were spherical, pink colored and measured 0.97 to 1.57 mm in diameter. in the majority of cases they had a single larvae involved in amorphous material. a total of 222 encysted larvae were recovered. of these, 30 were utilized in the morphological stud ...	2009	19061895
[distribution of acetylcholinesterase activity in the digestive system of the gastropod molluscs littorina littorea and achatina fulica].	with the use of the histochemical procedure for the demonstration of acetylcholinesterase (ache) activity, the distribution cholinergic regulatory elements was studied in the esophagus, the pharynx, the stomach, the liver (the digestive gland) and the intestine in sea and terrestrial gastropod molluscs that differed in their general organization level, lifestyle, habitat and feeding type. in both molluscs, all the parts of the digestive tract contained the significant amount of intraepithelial a ...	2008	19069417
[epidemiological investigation of angiostrongylus cantonensis in jiangmen of guangdong province].	to make an epidemiological survey on angiostrongylus cantonensis in jiangmen city of guangdong province.	2008	19157302
invasive snails and an emerging infectious disease: results from the first national survey on angiostrongylus cantonensis in china.	eosinophilic meningitis (angiostrongyliasis) caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis is emerging in mainland china. however, the distribution of a. cantonensis and its intermediate host snails, and the role of two invasive snail species in the emergence of angiostrongyliasis, are not well understood.	2009	19190771
distribution, feeding behavior and control strategies of the exotic land snail achatina fulica (gastropoda: pulmonata) in the northeast of brazil.	the goal of this study was to document the distribution and establishment a. fulica such as their feeding preference and behavior in situ. the study was carried out at the city of lauro de freitas, bahia state, brazil, between november 2001 and november 2002. we used catch per unit effort methods to determine abundance, distribution, habitat choice and food preferences. the abundance and distribution of a. fulica was most representative in urban area, mainly near to the coastline. lots and house ...	2008	19197503
[nadph-diaphorase activity in digestive system of gastropod molluscs achatina fulica and littorina littorea].	localization and peculiarities of no-ergic elements were studied for he first time throughout the entire length of digestive tract of the marine gastropod mollusc achatina fulica (prosobranchia) and the terrestrial molusc littorina littorea (pulmonata) by using histochemical method of detection of nadph-diaphorase (nadphd). no-ergic cells and fibers were revealed in all parts of the mollusc digestive tract beginning from pharynx. an intensive nadphd activity was found in many intraepithelial cel ...	2009	19370997
arsenic trioxide modulates the central snail neuron action potential.	the electropharmacological effect of arsenic trioxide (as2o3) is unknown. the present study investigated the effects of as2o3 on spontaneous neuronal impulse activity.	2009	19773206
atrial granular cells of the snail achatina fulica release proteins into hemolymph after stimulation of the heart nerve.	the atrium of the gastropod mollusc achatina fulica receives rich innervation and contains numerous granular cells (gcs). we studied the atrial innervation and discovered that axon profiles typical in appearance of peptidergic neurons form close unspecialized membrane contacts with gcs. then, we investigated, at both morphological and biochemical levels, the effect of electrical stimulation of the heart nerve on gcs of achatina heart perfused in situ. the ultrastructural study demonstrated chang ...	2009	19801425
do climate variables and human density affect achatina fulica (bowditch) (gastropoda: pulmonata) shell length, total weight and condition factor?	the length-weight relationship and condition factor have been broadly investigated in snails to obtain the index of physical condition of populations and evaluate habitat quality. herein, our goal was to describe the best predictors that explain achatina fulica biometrical parameters and well being in a recently introduced population. from november 2001 to november 2002, monthly snail samples were collected in lauro de freitas city, bahia, brazil. shell length and total weight were measured in t ...	2009	19802448
ecstasy and methamphetamine elicit action potential bursts via different mechanisms in a central snail neuron.	this study sought to determine the effects of (+) methamphetamine (meth) and its ring-substituted analog (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (mdma; ecstasy) on electrophysiological behavior and their relationships to second messenger systems in an identifiable rp4 neuron of the african snail, achatina fulica ferussac. extracellular application of mdma at 1mm and meth at 3mm elicited action potential bursts that were not blocked after immersing the neurons in ca(2+)-free solution. notably, mdm ...	2010	19958791
[achatina fulica bowdich (1822) a new host of cryptosporidium (apicomplexa, cryptosporidiidae) species].	with the objective of isolate cryptosporidium spp. in achatina fulica s feces, 50 mollusks were collected in nine neighborhoods of the municipal of campos dos goytacazes, rj to the observation of oocysts in feces. the snails were put in individuals containers and fed with water and green vegetables ad libitum until be collected a gram of feces per animal. the samples were conditioned in tubes with formalin 10% and later smear of feces were made and dyed by ziechl-neelsen modified technique. of t ...	2008	20059861
the giant african snail achatina fulica as natural intermediate host of angiostrongylus cantonensis in pernambuco, northeast brazil.	the human cases of eosinophilic meningitis recently reported from brazil have focused the attention of the public health agencies on the role the introduced snail achatina fulica plays as hosts of the metastrongylid nematodes. determining the potential of this snail to host and develop infective larval stages of metastrongylids in the wild and identify the species harbored by them is crucial for designing effective control measures. here we assess if a. fulica may act as intermediate host of a. ...	2010	20083081
lipids analysis in hemolymph of african giant achatina fulica (bowdich, 1822) exposed to different photoperiods.	the influence of different photophases (0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours) on the triglycerides and total cholesterol contents in the hemolymph of a. fulica was evaluated, since there is no information in the literature about the influence of this factor on lipids metabolism in mollusks. after 2 and 4 weeks of exposure the snails were dissected. the cholesterol content at the 2nd and 4th weeks post exposure only varied significantly in the groups exposed at 24 hours and 0 hour of photophase, respectivel ...	2010	20231969
bioindication of air pollution based on biomarkers of the cardiorespiratory system of the mollusk achatina fulica.		2010	20380182
determination of 3-o- and 4-o-methylated monosaccharide constituents in snail glycans.	the n- and o-glycans of arianta arbustorum, achatina fulica, arion lusitanicus and planorbarius corneus were analysed for their monosaccharide pattern by reversed-phase hplc after labelling with 2-aminobenzoic acid or 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. glucosamine, galactosamine, mannose, galactose, glucose, fucose and xylose were identified. furthermore, three different methylated sugars were detected: 3-o-methyl-mannose and 3-o-methyl-galactose wer ...	2010	20400065
[survey on the focus of angiostrongylus cantonensis in guangdong province].	to understand the distribution of angiostrongylus cantonensis foci in guangdong province for making surveillance program.	2010	20411741
induction of nucleolin translocation by acharan sulfate in a549 human lung adenocarcinoma.	acharan sulfate (as), isolated from the giant african snail achatina fulica, is a novel glycosaminoglycan, consisting primarily of the repeating disaccharide structure alpha-d-n-acetylglucosaminyl (1 --> 4) 2-sulfoiduronic acid. as shows anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. despite this activity, as is only weakly cytotoxic towards cancer cells. we examine the interactions between as and cell-surface proteins in an effort to explain this anti-tumor activity. using flow cytometry and affinit ...	2010	20564223
snails and trematode infection after indian ocean tsunami in phang-nga province, southern thailand.	the tsunami and non-tsunami affected areas of takua pa district, phang-nga province were investigated for fresh- and brackish-water snails that transmit human parasitic diseases during 2006 and 2007. among 46 snail species found, 17 species of 8 families were freshwater snails, 28 species of another 7 families were brackish-water snails, and 1 species was a land snail. of these species, 11 freshwater snails, 4 brackish-water snails and 1 land snail were of medical importance. the fresh-water sna ...	2010	20578482
rapid upregulation of heart antioxidant enzymes during arousal from estivation in the giant african snail (achatina fulica).	estivation is an adaptive response to environments characterized by elevated temperatures and desiccative stress, as may occur during summer dry seasons. similar to diapause and hibernation, it is characterized by low levels of activity, a drastically suppressed metabolic rate and enhanced stress resistance. we tested the hypothesis that achatina fulica, a pulmonate land snail, enhances stress resistance during estivation and/or arousal by upregulating intracellular antioxidant defenses in the h ...	2010	20621194
purification and characterization of a novel endo-β-1,4-glucanases , afeg22, from the giant snail, achatina fulica frussac.	in this study, we confirmed that at least three endo-β-1,4-glucanases existed in the digestive juice of the giant snail, achatina fulica ferussac, by congo red staining assay. one of these enzymes, a novel endo-β-1,4-glucanase (afeg22), was purified 29.5-fold by gel filtration, anion exchange, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. the carboxymethyl cellulose (cmc) hydrolytic activity of the purified enzyme was 12.3 u/mg protein. the molecular mass of afeg22 was 22081 da determined by maldi ...	2010	20870931
action potential bursts in central snail neurons elicited by paeonol: roles of ionic currents.	to investigate the effects of 2'-hydroxy-4'-methoxyacetophenone (paeonol) on the electrophysiological behavior of a central neuron (right parietal 4; rp4) of the giant african snail (achatina fulica ferussac).	2010	21042287
first report of angiostrongylus cantonensis (nematoda: metastrongylidae) in achatina fulica (mollusca: gastropoda) from southeast and south brazil.	the rat lungworm angiostrongylus cantonensis is a worldwide-distributed zoonotic nematode that can cause human eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. here, for the first time, we report the isolation of a. cantonensis from achatina fulica from two brazilian states: rio de janeiro (specifically the municipalities of barra do piraí, situated at the paraiba river valley region and são gonçalo, situated at the edge of guanabara bay) and santa catarina (in municipality of joinville). the lungworms were id ...	2010	21120369
high molecular weight lectin isolated from the mucus of the giant african snail achatina fulica.	to understand better the host defense mechanisms of mollusks against pathogens, we examined the anti-microbial activity of mucus from the giant african snail achatina fulica. hemagglutination activity of the mucus secreted by the integument of snails inoculated with escherichia coli was observed to increase and to cause hemagglutination of rabbit red blood cells. purification of the snail mucus lectin by sequential column chromatography revealed that the relative molecular mass of the lectin was ...	2011	21228483
epidemiological survey of angiostrongylus cantonensis in the west-central region of guangdong province, china.	the study was to understand the angiostrongylus cantonensis infectious situation of rodent definitive host, snail intermediate host, and local residents in the west-central region of guangdong province in china. the snails achatina fulica and pomacea canaliculata collected from the survey place were digested with artificial gastric juice, and the third-stage larvae of a. cantonensis in the snails were examined under microscope. the heart and lung of rats captured from the survey place were taken ...	2011	21301874
seroprevalence of angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in humans in china.	a seroepidemiological survey was carried out in china during 2009-2010 to determine the extent of circulating antigens (cag) for angiostrongylus cantonensis in the chinese population using the gold immunochromatographic assay, with the objective of elucidating the nationwide prevalence of angiostrongyliasis in china. a total of 1,730 blood samples was collected and assayed from the general adult population (the "general group"), and those involved in aquaculture or processing of snails achatina ...	2010	21348622
specific detection of angiostrongylus cantonensis in the snail achatina fulica using a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) assay.	angiostrongylus cantonensis, a rat lungworm, can cause eosinophilic meningitis and angiostrongyliasis in humans following ingestion of contaminated foods or intermediate/paratenic hosts with infective larvae. the snail achatina fulica is one of the important intermediate hosts of a. cantonensis and is commonly eaten by humans in some countries. in the present study, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) method for the specific detection of a. cantonensis in ac. fulica. pri ...	2011	21515360
current distribution of achatina fulica, in the state of s+úo paulo including records of aelurostrongylus abstrusus (nematoda) larvae infestation.	the currently known distribution range of achatina fulica bowdich, 1822, in the state of s+úo paulo, brazil, is presented. the record of a. fulica naturally infested with aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae (railliet, 1898) (nematoda: metastrongylidae) can be found in the city of guaratinguet+í. it was found a. fulica with metastrongylidae larvae without known medical and veterinary importance in the cities of carapicu+¡ba, embu-gua+ºu, itapevi, s+úo caetano do sul, s+úo paulo and tabo+úo da serra ...	2010	21748230
epidemic status of angiostrongylus cantonensis in hainan island, china.	to understand the current epidemiological status of angiostrongylus cantonensis in hainan island and provide the scientific evidences for prevention and control of the disease.	2011	21771469
action potential bursts in central snail neurons elicited by procaine: roles of ionic currents.	the role of ionic currents on procaine-elicited action potential bursts was studied in an identifiable rp1 neuron of the african snail, achatina fulica ferussac, using the two-electrode voltage clamp method. the rp1 neuron generated spontaneous action potentials and bath application of procaine at 10 mm reversibly elicited action potential bursts in a concentration-dependent manner. voltage clamp studies revealed that procaine at 10 mm decreased [1] the ca2+ current, [2] the na+ current, [3] the ...	2010	21793338
A novel approach for the characterisation of proteoglycans and biosynthetic enzymes in a snail model.	Proteoglycans encompass a heterogeneous group of glycoconjugates where proteins are substituted with linear, highly negatively charged glycosaminoglycan chains. Sulphated glycosaminoglycans are ubiquitous to the animal kingdom of the Eukarya domain. Information on the distribution and characterisation of proteoglycans in invertebrate tissues is limited and restricted to a few species. By the use of multidimensional protein identification technology and immunohistochemistry, this study shows for ...	2011	21854878
First provincial survey of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Guangdong Province, China.	The rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic nematode with a wide distribution. We report the first provincial survey of the prevalence of A. cantonensis infection among wild rodents and snails in Guangdong Province, China. A total of 2929 Pomacea canaliculata and 1354 Achatina fulica were collected from fields in 22 survey sites with a larval infection rates ranging from 0-26.6% to 0-45.4%. In addition, 114 Cipangopaludina sp and 252 Bellamya sp were bought from markets; larvae we ...	2011	21906215
survey of angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats and giant african land snails in phitsanulok province, thailand.	to survey the angiostrongylus cantonensis (a. cantonensis) or the rat lungworm in a rat, definitive host, and in a giant african land snail (achatina fulica), the intermediate host, in phitsanulok, thailand.	2011	21914534